Male Repro Flashcards
(42 cards)
Spermatic Cord
Provide Vascular, lymphatic, and neural connections to body.
Provide Heat Exchange
Houses Cremaster Muscle
Cremaster Muscle
Primary Muscle supporting testis. Contracts and relaxes to control blood flow, thus enhancing a cooling action. Aids pampiniform plexus in cooling and cannot extend or contract for a long time like tunica dartos.
Ductus Deferens
Straight, thick muscular tube that transports sperm. Goes from epididymus to the ampulla and eventually the ejaculatory duct and then urethra. Mostly smooth muscle in 3 layers.
EGR
Extra-Gonadal Reserves- total sperm count from epididymus, vas deferen, and ampulla
Pampiniform Plexus
(Testicular Vein)
Network of veins around testicular arteries.
Temperature control for spermatogenesis
Pulse Pressure Eliminator
Diffusion Gradient for Testosterone
tunica dartos
mesh-like smooth muscle underneath scrotal skin. Can sustain contraction for long periods of time (such as holding testes close to body during long periods of cold). Expands surface area in heat so more sweat.
Scrotum (and its 4 major layers)
1) skin
2) Tunica Dartos
3) Scrotal Fascia
4)Parietal Vaginal Tunic
The scrotum is protective, and has many sweat glands to keep sperm cool
Testis
Primary reproductive organ. Same as Ovaries in women
Consists of
1) Testicular Capsule
2) Parenchyma
3) Mediastinum
4) rete tubules
Produces Sperm, Hormones, Protein, Fluid
Testicular Capsule
Covering around the Testis
two layers: Visceral Vaginal Tunic and Tunica Albuginea.
Testicular Parenchyma
Is divided into the tubular and interstitial compartments
Tubular Compartment:
-Seminiferous tubules
Interstitial Compartment:
-Interstitial cells of Leydig
-Capillaries
-Lymphatic Vessels
-Connective Tissue
Tubular compartment
(seminiferous tubules)
Tubulus rectus and tubulus contortus
Interstitial Compartment (parenchyma)
all cells and materials ourside of the seminiferous, such as lymphatics, nerves, connective tissues, and Leydig cells that produce testosterone.
Mediastinum
Central connective tissue of the testis and houses ducts called rete tubules. Dense, firm nature helps prevent the collapse of rete tubules so that sperm can travel out.
rete tubules
tiny channels in which sperms is tranfered out of the testis
seminiferous tubule
Is made up of a basement membrane and a layer of seminiferous epithelium. They are microscopic and form convoluted loops that joine with rete tubules.
seminiferous epithelium
1) Basal compartment
2) Adluminal Compartment
Sertoli Cells
The only somatic cells in the seminiferous epithelium. The higher the number of sertoli cells the greater the amount of sperm and vice versa. Tight junctions band these cells together to split the epithelium into the two compartments basal and adluminal.
Blood-Testis barrier
Formed by peritubular cells. They surround seminiferous tubules and the sertoli cell junction. It acts a screening to prevent autoimmune diseases from destroying forming germ cells.
Excurrent Duct System
1) Efferent ducts
2) Epididymal duct
3) Ductus deferens
This whole system allows for storage, maturation, and delivery of sperm
efferent ducts
converge into a singular duct and then into the head of the epididymus where the epididymal duct begins. Carries mix of newly formed sperm and tubular fluid.
Epididymus
Provides environment for sperm maturity and eventual motility. Has a head, body, and tail. epididymis provides continuous release of sperm that would otherwise cause immense pressure build-up every day. Continuous trickle flushed out during urination. Also, the head of the epididymis and the epithelium absorb a lot of the rete fluid mixed with the sperm so that sperm concentration is higher by the time it reaches the tail.
Epididymal Duct
singular long duct, surrounded by smooth muscle causing it to contract. These contractions force the sperm to travel from the head to the tail of the epididymus.
Epididymal Transit Time
Time it takes for sperm to travel from the head to the tail of Epididymus
Seminal Plasma
Fluid Vehicle for sperm (it is non-cellular).
Produced by epididymus, ampulla, and accessory sex glands
